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Cioppino for One is a hearty seafood stew made with shrimp, white fish, and a rich tomato broth. This easy one pot recipe brings big flavor in just minutes, giving you a restaurant quality meal made right at home.
Featured Comment
“This recipe is brilliant! So much flavor in so few calories. Thank you”
– Jillian
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Packed with Bold Seafood Flavor: Enjoy a rich, aromatic tomato broth loaded with your favorite seafood such as shrimp, cod, or any catch of the day.
- Fast and Effortless: Ready in just 15 minutes of cooking time, this one pot cioppino is simple to prepare even for busy weeknights.
- Highly Versatile and Customizable: Easily swap in scallops, mussels, clams, or whatever seafood you prefer. Adapt the seasonings to fit your tastes.
- Made for One with No Leftovers: A single serving cioppino means no waste, just a satisfying bowl made for you.
Cioppino (pronounced chuh-PEE-no) is a classic Italian-American seafood stew that started in San Francisco’s fishing communities, where fishermen would toss the day’s catch into a pot of simmering tomato broth. My version keeps it simple with shrimp and white fish, but it still feels like such a treat.
I love how just a few basic ingredients can create a warm, flavorful meal that feels special without being complicated.
Serve your cioppino with a small loaf of french bread, small batch butter swim biscuits, a crisp cucumber salad, or buttered noodles for one.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this easy cioppino recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Olive Oil: I use extra virgin olive oil for rich flavor. You can substitute with light olive oil or avocado oil.
- Onion and Garlic: These build flavor in the stew, so don’t skip them.
- Tomatoes: Use 1 to 2 Roma tomatoes (about 3 ounces). Any variety works, but Roma holds up well in the broth. Extra tomatoes can be used in a fresh tomato salad.
- Seasonings: Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, and black pepper add depth. If you don’t have smoked paprika, use regular paprika or a pinch of cayenne.
- Salt: I use kosher salt, but adjust to taste. If using broth instead of water, you may need less.
- Water or Broth: Use water, or substitute with seafood, vegetable, or chicken broth for more flavor.
- Fish: This recipe calls for 3 ounces of cod, but tilapia, catfish, or another white fish works well too. Leftover fish can be used in single serving seafood recipes like fish tacos for one or single serving seafood gumbo.
- Shrimp: Use 3 to 4 medium shrimp, or more if you prefer. Extra shrimp can be added to single serving shrimp étouffée, single serving shrimp and grits, small batch air fryer shrimp, or shrimp fettuccine for one.
Cioppino Variations
Here are a few ways to customize your cioppino:
- Mediterranean: Add olives and capers for a briny, robust flavor.
- Creamy: Stir in a splash of heavy cream or coconut milk for a richer broth.
- Spicy: Add red pepper flakes or a pinch of cayenne for heat.
- Fresh Herbs: Top with basil or parsley for a fresh finish.
How To Make Cioppino
These photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this single serve cioppino recipe. See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Sauté Aromatics: In a 2-quart saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Add Seasonings: Stir in tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and paprika. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Simmer Broth: Add water (or broth) and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes.
- Cook Seafood: Add cod and shrimp. Return to a simmer and cook about 3 minutes, until seafood is cooked through.
- Season and Serve: Taste and season with salt and black pepper.
Expert Tips
- Wine: For added depth, stir in 1/4 cup dry red or white wine after cooking the onion and garlic. Let it reduce by half before adding tomatoes.
- Seafood Choices: Mix and match seafood – scallops, clams, or mussels all work well.
- Spice: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes for extra heat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cioppino is a seafood stew with a tomato-based broth, usually made with a mix of fish and shellfish. This version keeps it simple with shrimp and white fish.
No. Bouillabaisse is a French seafood stew with saffron, while cioppino is Italian-American with a tomato and wine-based broth.
This single serving cioppino recipe cooks in about 15 minutes, making it an easy and quick seafood dinner at home.
More Single Serving Soup Recipes
If you enjoy this cioppino, you might like these other single serving soups:
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this small batch cioppino recipe or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
If you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Cioppino For One
Watch How To Make This
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup chopped onions
- 1 clove garlic -chopped
- 2 medium Roma tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon salt -plus more to taste
- ¾ cup water or use seafood, vegetable or chicken broth
- 3 ounces cod -cut into 1-inch pieces
- 4 medium shrimp -peeled and deveined
Instructions
- In a 2-quart saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Stir in tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and paprika. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Add water (or broth) and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add cod and shrimp. Return to a simmer and cook about 3 minutes, until seafood is cooked through.
- Taste and season with salt and black pepper.
Notes
- Wine: For added depth, stir in 1/4 cup dry red or white wine after cooking the onion and garlic. Let it reduce by half before adding tomatoes.
- Seafood Choices: Mix and match seafood – scallops, clams, or mussels all work well.
- Spice: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes for extra heat.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Joanie, fantastic flavor. Your knowledge of spicing in combination with other ingredients is awesome. Thank you for making these recipes available to us. The depth of flavor and the richness of this dish is fantastic. I had a bag of catfish nuggets that were El Cheapo at the fishmongers so I just use that and no shrimp. Also threw in a couple of sliced mushrooms and a handful of broccoli greens. It made enough for two meals if I can hold out that long. LOL
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Your version with catfish, mushrooms, and broccoli greens sounds delicious — I love how you made it your own. Thank you for always sharing your wonderful adaptations!
I was craving seafood and wanted something flavorful. This delivered! I did add the optional wine as instructed, and it was a game changer for me. I also used chicken broth. I paired this with a demi baguette to soak up the broth. A must-have meal rotation! Thank you!
This recipe is brilliant! So much flavor in so few calories. Thank you❤
Really really tasty dish, I added capers at the end and added chilli flakes into the oil at the start. Next time I’ll add more white fish in lieu of the prawns. Also steamed broccoli al denté and roughly chopped and added at the end. Loved this dish 🙏
Can you freeze this soup
Yes, you can freeze cioppino. It will keep well in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Just had to write to let you know how great this recipe is — not to mention easy and quick too! Very tasty as well. Second time I’ve made it today, and added scallops. Couldn’t be any better. Thank you for scaling this to a single (or double) serving!
Joanie I have had the worst luck making this dish using other recipes. My wife doesn’t care for it so making smaller portions has not gone well for me. Finally, thankfully, you have now given me a recipe I can easily double (because I will want more for lunch the next day).
I have all the ingredients on hand now, including some crusty french bread, so this is dinner for me tonight! Fear not for my wife, I am making grilled salmon filet with sautéed asparagus and crusty french bread for her.
Thanks Joanie!
I’m thrilled to hear that our recipe has worked out so well for you! It’s great that you can easily double it for an extra serving – perfect for lunch the next day. And it sounds like you have a fantastic dinner plan with the crusty French bread. Your wife’s meal with the grilled salmon filet and sautéed asparagus sounds delicious too. Both dishes are sure to make for a wonderful dinner.
Absolutely delicious!! Will be making this often
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, thank you.
This was delicious.
I used tilapia and bok crab claws. I didn’t have fresh tomatoes so I used 1/2 cup diced tomatoes and used chicken stock instead of water (a habit of mine).
I will definitely make this again.